Tuesday, May 12, 2009

My Paintbox

A painter friend was looking at my paintbox and asked if I would give him the specs on it. I photographed it and sent him the dimensions. I thought you might like to see the box also.

I am a very messy painter and my box is covered with paint, I also wear old painting garb so that I don't have to worry about getting paint on that.

The paintboxes sold at the art supply store are flimsy and made of light weight pine and the fittings are made of such thin metal that they quickly become bent and unserviceable. After chewing up way too many of these I decided I would make my own box. Here it is.

The box is 18 inches by 21 inches wide, closed it is 43/4 inch's deep. I made the sides of the box from oak picture frame moulding the sort the use on modern art the is sort of L shaped.

The top and bottom are luan plywood glued and then screwed to the square frame made from the oak moldings. The dividers keep things from flopping about when I haul it around. The center divided are holds my palette knives and a collapsible mahl stick.There is a little box shaped area up at the top to hold the pegs for my easel. You can see I carry nothing but the large tubes which I fill myself. This rig is heavy but I have everything I need in it and it opens out on my Gloucester easel to the size of a small card table. If you look closely at the sides you can see the rabbet that holds my palette. Here is the box with the palette in place.

The palette I made from a sheet of luan that I pumped liquin and linseed oil into until it would absorb no more. Its important to do that, as a thirsty palette will suck the oil right out of your paint. Notice the amount of paint I have on that palette. If I make another palette I don't think I will put a thumbhole in it . I thought I would use hold it on my arm, or at least want that capability, but in practice I never do, and I lose mixing space to the hole. I will put in some kind of a notch at the side so I can lift it out of the box easily. If you go to my sidebar you can hunt back and find posts on what colors I use on my palette. I also don't have the brass arm shaped devices on the sides of my box that they usually come from the art supply store with, so I can open it out flat.

Here is the rear view showing the piano hinge that runs all the way across the box. It is a simple hardware store item, cut to the right length with a hack saw. The wooden device on the top of the box is made to allow two panels having one dimension of 14 inches to slide in for transport wet or dry. I carry 11 by 14s or, 14 by 18s in there. All of the fittings on the box are commonly available but far beefier than those you get on a store bought unit. The Grateful Dead sticker on the top has a protective layer of wide plastic packing tape over it to protect it from the elements and abrasion. This is the second box it has been on. I think it is really handsome and provides a degree of attitude that might be obtained in no other way I can think of. Tomorrow I will start a whole series of posts on passages in painting and the elements they contain.

13 comments:

Again what a beautiful site!! I really agree with you, that the stuff that is sold in stores are just too flimsy and not sustainable through time, its to generic. I take my hat off to you for building your own box!!!! I got my Plein Air box at www.openboxm.com/index.html . It has been just a dream to paint on this box and very reliable too. Thanks for posting these pics, its fun too see on what you create those wonderful paintings! Take care!

So when you paint on location, you just carry that box and your easel? I've got a good setup to paint small, but I'd like to get something portable for larger stuff. It seems like you have no problems painting larger in the field. Maybe I should hire a sherpa?

I suspect your open box M is a pochade box. I have one of those too. My is an Easy-L though. I did a post on pochade boxes some time ago.The box I have shown here is for use with my Gloucester easel. It would break your tripod it is HEAVY......Stape

Jesse'Besides the box I have my Gloucester easel and a backpack.I carry the canvas in my other hand. This is a heavy kit. If I am going a long way I would take a pochade box. But in practice I like my Gloucester easel so I drag it wherever. It is a great rig. I would be willing to work as a Sherpa. I get $4,600.00

What I like about your palette design is that when its open it shades the palette, which can be a problem with the anderson style easels. The palette I use opens to the sides which lets sun hit it so I improvise with a car shade or cardboard. I like yours better.

"Well I stand up next to a mountain...chop it down with the edge of my hand"

About Me

I am a professional landscape painter.I make my living painting pictures.
In my blog I show my paintings, offer some of the techniques, ideas and methods I have learned over the years, and talk about how to make a living as an artist. I present some essays on painting, art, and hopefully amuse you some at the same time. I will also tell you about many of the fine painters I have known over the years and some who died long ago. I talk about my training in the studios of R.H.Ives Gammell and about the many artists who have mentored me along the way. I also try to explain what I THINK makes a good painting, and how to go about making one.
If you have just found this blog, I suggest you go back to the earliest posts and read forward. It is now an enormous archive of about a thousand posts. The posts start out with the most basic information and progress towards the more philosophical side of painting. I hope you will find it useful!
.............Stape

Teaching

I do teach and I do travel. If you are interested in booking workshops or having me visit and teach at your institution, school or art association please email me at stapletonkearns@gmail.com I am presently booked for several workshops in the coming year and will be announcing more . If you are interested in attending a workshop please let me know as well.